Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Child-safe in minutes.

Meet the Other Phone.
Child-safe in minutes.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

This pandemic has made people so rude!

163 replies

Geneva1994 · 01/06/2021 10:04

First time since the start of the pandemic I have forgotten a mask anywhere, as I always have 1 in my car, bag or pocket. Today I went to b&q for opening so the shop was empty, realised I didn’t have a mask in my car as I thought so I poked my head round the door and apologised to the lady but asked if they had a disposable mask I could have (or pay for!) as id stupidly forgot mine, only to get an earful and be told I’m the reason covid is still spreading Confused she then started slagging me off to a colleague as I walked off and I heard her say “surprised she didn’t try and say she is exempt”.

AIBU to think some people are going crazy? How are they going to cope when restrictions are completely lifted Confused

OP posts:
Dalmationcoat · 01/06/2021 10:05

I’d complain to management to be honest. That’s nasty and unnecessary behaviour

ColaOlaLa · 01/06/2021 10:06

Unfortunately yep, I am actually exempt but I haven’t been to the shops in 6 months as I’ve been worried I will get abuse

Thefaceofboe · 01/06/2021 10:15

Absolutely ridiculous. I would complain too. I’m exempt but choose to wear one anyway to avoid peoples stares and nasty comments.

flyingtartar · 01/06/2021 10:16

I agree that I have been spoken to sharply/shouted at/snapped at in shops over the past year in ways that never happened before. I do understand that retail staff have been 'on the front line' in that they haven't been furloughed or able to wfh, so I try to keep that in mind but it is a bit much sometimes. It happened to me in B & Q a few weeks ago - they have a new queueing system since Covid and you have to join one big queue instead of queueing at each till. On this occasion no one was queueing so I went straight to the nearest till from where I was which was the opposite direction from where the central queue would have been had there been one. The woman snapped 'you have to queue over there!' I said I knew but there was no one there - she could see that as well as I could. She made a big deal of looking then grudgingly served me. I think she would have liked to make me walk up to the empty queue and then back to her till from there. It's been difficult but some people have vented their frustrations a bit too freely.

GreenMeeple · 01/06/2021 10:57

Thats horrible. I had the same thing happen a few months ago (forgot my mask going to the B&Q) but the guy at the entrance had a stack of masks packs (packs of 5) so I could use one and pay for the pack at the till.

You would think this is a great way to make some extra money, selling disposable masks to people that forget.

shivawn · 01/06/2021 11:02

Yeah she was very rude and inappropriate (you should actually put in a complaint) but I don't think that's typical behaviour.

Topseyt · 01/06/2021 11:07

This reply has been deleted

Message deleted by MNHQ. Here's a link to our Talk Guidelines.

Iamanaubergine · 01/06/2021 11:10

She was rude but I expect she’s fed up with people ‘forgetting’ masks & claiming to be exempt. Working front line in retail or any customer service role must be even worse than usual at the moment.

CharlotteRose90 · 01/06/2021 11:13

People are dicks currently. I’m exempt but I’ve worn a mask the entire time as I got fed up of the looks and comments I got. Although now with this extra variant even when we don’t need to wear them I’ll be wearing one in the supermarket or similar to protect myself

PaperbackRider · 01/06/2021 11:13

I’m exempt but choose to wear one anyway to avoid peoples stares and nasty comments

Why do people keep saying this? You're not exempt if you can wear one, so if you choose to wear one, you are not exempt.

OP, you were supposed to have a mask and you didn't. They aren;t the ones at fault.

TO12T39FRQ · 01/06/2021 11:14

I expect they have to be compliant due to retail covid audits.

GeorgeandHarold66 · 01/06/2021 11:14

Wow, awful behaviour from the staff member. I've done this a couple of times and they'll generally hand you a disposable mask without batting an eyelid.

Ginuwine · 01/06/2021 11:15

Why do people insist on making their problems someone else's problem?

Sirius99 · 01/06/2021 11:16

You try working in retail over the last 18 months, the public have been rude, nasty, angry, uncooperative, many a time the young Saturday girls have gone home crying due to the rudeness of customers, I would imagine they’ve had enough, how many times do you think they’ve heard the no mask or exempt story,

GeorgeandHarold66 · 01/06/2021 11:16

@CharlotteRose90

People are dicks currently. I’m exempt but I’ve worn a mask the entire time as I got fed up of the looks and comments I got. Although now with this extra variant even when we don’t need to wear them I’ll be wearing one in the supermarket or similar to protect myself
I thought people were only exempt if they absolutely couldn't wear one without becoming seriously unwell?

If you are able to wear one and continue wearing one then I don't think you're exempt?

ColaOlaLa · 01/06/2021 11:20

Yes I’ve noticed a few people claiming to be exempt but “wear one anyway” well then you’re not exempt and it’s probably people like you that make it harder for those of us that are genuinely exempt. I haven’t been into a shop in 6 months because I can’t just wear one anyway Confused

AdobeWanKenobi · 01/06/2021 11:21

@GreenMeeple

Thats horrible. I had the same thing happen a few months ago (forgot my mask going to the B&Q) but the guy at the entrance had a stack of masks packs (packs of 5) so I could use one and pay for the pack at the till.

You would think this is a great way to make some extra money, selling disposable masks to people that forget.

There was a woman in front of me at the entrance in B&Q last week who was maskless. She was challenged and also offered a pack of masks. So much huffing and puffing from her and to the assistants credit she just kept smiling and repeating that she needed a mask. She snatched the lot from her in the end and stormed off.

I think people are getting to the point where they have had enough.

ColaOlaLa · 01/06/2021 11:21

The op didn’t say she was exempt either she asked to buy one. So why are people saying they are probably fed up of people claiming to be exempt. She never claimed to be!

Franklydear · 01/06/2021 11:22

@PaperbackRider I am exempt, as in I fit the conditions to be exempt, I wear one as much as I can, it is very difficult and I do suffer from it, but I am not a dick, so I try to wear one, but on occasions, I do have to take it off, I just couldn’t do it, due to my conditions I don’t go anywhere and shielded for most of the year, there is a lot of pressure to wear a mask, even if you can’t, I guess the people that pretends to be exempt don’t feel it, btw, I am not having a go at you at all, just giving you a perspective of why a person that is exempt will try to wear a mask.

PaperbackRider · 01/06/2021 11:22

@ColaOlaLa

The op didn’t say she was exempt either she asked to buy one. So why are people saying they are probably fed up of people claiming to be exempt. She never claimed to be!
Thats in reference to another post. It's quoted and everything so its really easy to tell.
TO12T39FRQ · 01/06/2021 11:24

How are people even forgetting masks at this stage....a year in

Wanttocry · 01/06/2021 11:25

@Sirius99

You try working in retail over the last 18 months, the public have been rude, nasty, angry, uncooperative, many a time the young Saturday girls have gone home crying due to the rudeness of customers, I would imagine they’ve had enough, how many times do you think they’ve heard the no mask or exempt story,
But presumably the OP wasn’t giving the “no mask or exempt story” since she was asking if they had any masks she could buy. So she wasn’t trying to get away with not wearing one, she was trying to wear one.
freeez · 01/06/2021 11:25

Can you imagine having worked in retail throughout the pandemic, having to deal with customers daily who are difficult and rude about wearing masks. I expect they've had more than enough and who can blame them.

Wanttocry · 01/06/2021 11:27

@TO12T39FRQ

How are people even forgetting masks at this stage....a year in
The same way people occasionally forget their wallets I imagine. I’ve worked in shops and it wasn’t massively uncommon for people to realise at the till that they’ve left their purse/wallet in the car or at home etc and have to come back.
PaperbackRider · 01/06/2021 11:30

But presumably the OP wasn’t giving the “no mask or exempt story” since she was asking if they had any masks she could buy. So she wasn’t trying to get away with not wearing one, she was trying to wear one

She was coming in to their workplace without a mask, and that's what matters to them.

The same way people occasionally forget their wallets I imagine. I’ve worked in shops and it wasn’t massively uncommon for people to realise at the till that they’ve left their purse/wallet in the car or at home etc and have to come back

You wouldn't be asking the staff to lend you money though, would you? IF you forget your mask, go home and get one, like your wallet. Don't walk into to other peoples workplaces without one and get narky when they arent' too happy with you.